Welcome to Close Call Sports. CCS objectively tracks and analyzes close and controversial calls in sport, with great regard for the rules and spirit of the game. Developed from The Left Field Corner: MLB Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (UEFL), whose purpose is to objectively track and analyze umpire ejections, video instant replay reviews and their corresponding calls, with great regard for the rules and spirit of the game.

Saturday, August 26, 2017

HP Umpire Nick Mahrley ejected Tigers Manager Brad Ausmus (strike one call; QOCY) in the top of the 5th inning of the Tigers-White Sox game. With one out and one on, Tigers batter Victor Martinez took a 0-0 changeup from White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon for a called first strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer half of home plate and knee-high (px .355, pz 1.776 [sz_bot 1.589]) and the one other called strike during the top of the 5th inning (0-0 pitch to Mike Mahtook) was similarly located over the plate and above the hollow of the knee (px .356, pz 1.593 [sz_bot 1.565]), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Tigers were leading, 5-2.

Friday, August 25, 2017

HP Umpire Laz Diaz ejected Astros Bench Coach Alex Cora (alleging pitcher doctored baseball or it was unfit; QOCU) in the top of the 1st inning of the Astros-Angels game. With two out and none on, Diaz examined a baseball from Angels pitcher Parker Bridwell prior to Astros batter Yuli Gurriel's at-bat. Cora was ejected following the first pitch of Gurriel's at-bat for arguing the baseball had too much dirt and was unfit for use pursuant to Rule 4.01(e)(2) or that Bridwell had willfully violated Rule 6.02(c), which prohibits a pitcher from expectorating on, rubbing anywhere other than on bare hands, applying a foreign substance to (or possessing such substance), or otherwise defacing the ball in any manner, the call was irrecusable.* At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 0-0. The Astros ultimately won the contest, 2-1.

This is Laz Diaz (63)'s second ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Laz Diaz now has 0 points in the UEFL Standings (-2 Prev + 2 MLB + 0 Irrecusable Call = 0).
Crew Chief Jeff Nelson now has 4 points in Crew Division (3 Previous + 1 Irrecusable Call = 4).
*Rule 4.01(e)(2) states: "Alternate balls shall be put in play when—A ball has become discolored or unfit for further use."
*Rule 4.01(c) states, in part: "The umpire shall be the sole judge of the fitness of the balls to be used in the game."
*Rule 6.02(c) states: "The pitcher shall not—(5) deface the ball in any manner; or (6) deliver a ball altered in a manner prescribed by Rule 6.02(c)(2) through (5) or what is called the “shine” ball, “spit” ball, “mud” ball or “emery” ball. The pitcher is allowed to rub the ball between his bare hands."
*Rule 6.02 PENALTY states: "For violation of this part of this rule the umpires shall immediately remove the ball from play and issue a warning to the pitcher. Any subsequent violation shall be called a ball. However, if the pitch is made and a batter reaches first base on a hit, an error, a hit batsman or otherwise, and no other runner is put out before advancing at least one base, the play shall proceed without reference to the violation. Repeat offenders shall be subject to a fine by the League President."

This is the 151st ejection report of 2017.
This is Houston's 4th ejection of 2017, T-3rd in the AL West (TEX 8; SEA 5; HOU, OAK 4; LAA 1).
This is Alex Cora's first career MLB ejection.
This is Laz Diaz's 2nd ejection of 2017, 1st since May 9 (Daniel Murphy; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Bob Motley, the last surviving Negro Leagues Umpire, received honors at Dodger Stadium prior to Friday's game at Chavez Ravine.

Bob Motley meets with Don Newcombe.Photo: LA Dodgers.

Motley, you may recall, was briefly featured as part of MLB Network's The Third Team documentary of the 2014 World Series in a segment when Ted Barrett spent an off day in Motley's home town, Kansas City, at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which is located just six miles from Kauffman Stadium.

Motley, who is presently 94, served with the Montfort Point Marines—the first-ever black Marine regiment—in World War II, officiated Negro League games from 1947-1958, served as chief umpire in both the Negro Leagues and for the College World Series in Omaha, and umpired Triple-A's Pacific Coast League. He was also the first African American to attend and graduate from the Al Somers Umpire School.

Motley, who is a Purple Heart and Congressional Gold Medal recipient, first learned, and cemented his love of, umpiring while recovering from a gunshot wound in a hospital in Okinawa, Japan.

While working in Triple-A, a labor dispute in the majors led the big leagues to offer Motley a job, albeit a temporary one. Motley, however, declined to cross the picket line and turned his attention elsewhere, including a dedication to help create what would become the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

HP Umpire Paul Emmel ejected Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle (ball four call; QOCY) in the top of the 7th inning of the Dodgers-Pirates game. With two out and two on (R1, R2), Dodgers batter Chris Taylor took a 3-2 fastball from Pirates pitcher Johnny Barbato for a called fourth ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner half of home plate and above the midpoint (px -.185, pz 3.478 [sz_top 3.411], or .8 inches above the strike zone), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Dodgers were leading, 3-1. The Dodgers ultimately won the contest, 5-2.

HP Umpire Carlos Torres ejected Yankees pitcher Tommy Kahnle (throwing at), Tigers DH Miguel Cabrera (fighting), and Yankees Manager Joe Girardi (arguing Kahnle's ejection/warnings) and 1B Umpire Dana DeMuth ejected Yankees catcher Austin Romine (fighting) in the bottom of the 6th inning and 1B Umpire Dana DeMuth ejected Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances and Bench Coach/Acting Manager Rob Thomson (throwing at Tigers batter James McCann after warnings) in the bottom of the 7th inning and HP Umpire Carlos Torres ejected Tigers pitcher Alex Wilson and Manager Brad Ausmus (throwing at Yankees batter Todd Frazier after warnings; all QOCU) in the top of the 8th inning of the Yankees-Tigers game. With none out and none on in the top of the 4th inning, Yankees batter Gary Sanchez hit a 3-2 slider from Tigers pitcher Michael Fulmer for a home run. With two out and one on (R1) in the top of the 5th, Sanchez took a first-pitch fastball from Fulmer for a hit-by-pitch. With two out and none on in the bottom of the 6th, Tigers batter Cabrera took a first-pitch fastball from Yankees pitcher Kahnle for a called first ball, resulting in an ejection and eventual bench-clearing incident. Replays indicate the pitch was thrown behind Cabrera and waist-high, the call was irrecusable. At the time of all 6th inning ejections, the Tigers were leading, 6-3. With none out and none on in the bottom of the 7th, Tigers batter James McCann took a 0-1 fastball for a hit-by-pitch, resulting in another bench-clearing incident. Replays indicate the pitched ball hit McCann in the helmet and warnings had previously been issued due to the previous throwing-at ejection, the call was irrecusable. At the time of the 7th inning ejections, the game was tied, 6-6. With one out and none on in the top of the 8th, Yankees batter Todd Frazier took a first-pitch fastball from Tigers pitcher Wilson for a hit-by-pitch. Replays indicate the pitch was located in Frazier's midsection and warnings had previously been issued due to multiple previous throwing-at ejections, the call was irrecusable. At the time of the 8th inning ejections, the Tigers were leading, 9-6. The Tigers ultimately won the contest, 10-6.

Virtual reality technology may soon be utilized in professional baseball umpire training programs while Rob Manfred's electronic strike zone stance has taken somewhat of a softer tone over the past week.

In an e-mail to ST, WUA general counsel Dan Purcell wrote, "The World Umpires Association supports all efforts to improve training for the umpires we represent. At this point, we’ve not received formal notice that the Office of the Commissioner wants to start using this technology. But we are quite willing to discuss any training technology that would help our members continue to perform their difficult jobs even better."

Meanwhile, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who last week said he was opposed to the implementation of an electronic strike zone, this week qualified his comments, opening up the door toward the collective MLB ownership's power to remove the plate umpire's pitch calling role; Manfred's updated stance reflects his elected role as owner-answering Commissioner, which is a position voted on by the League's 30 owners; Manfred gained election in 2014 after six rounds of voting finally produced a three-fourths majority in Manfred's favor:

As a technological matter, I believe we will get to the point that balls and strikes can be called in real time by a machine...When the technology gets there, I'm sure the owners will have a conversation on whether they want to go to make that additional move of taking that human element out of the game. Right now, we don't have technology that in real time can more accurately call balls and strikes than our human umpires, who, let's not forget, get it right about 95 percent of the time.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Two umpires made two opposing calls on the same play Tuesday night in Anaheim, with umpire-in-chief Gary Cederstrom making the final call pursuant to Official Baseball Rule 8.03(c), which granted the veteran crew chief authority to rectify a conflicting situation.

From behind the fielder, Stu thinks he sees a foul ball.

The Play: With two out and none on in the top of the 6th inning of the Rangers-Angels game, Rangers batter Robinson Chirinos hit a 1-0 breaking ball from Angels pitcher Keynan Middleton on the ground up the foul line in front of third base. With the batted ball bouncing in foul territory while the speedy Chirinos ran toward first base, Angels third baseman Luis Valbuena jaunted over the field the ball as it took a final turn back toward fair territory as it approached third base. As Valbuena, positioned in foul territory, reached back in attempt to grab the ball before it reached the plane along the foul line, he moved his glove as to catch the ball and immediately sweep it toward his foul-leaning body.

The Calls: HP Umpire Gary Cederstrom, following the bouncing ball, ruled that Valbuena's glove first made contact with the baseball as it was positioned over fair territory, and accordingly mechanized a fair ball. Meanwhile, 3B Umpire Stu Scheurwater from his position behind Valbuena, ruled that Valbuena successfully prevented the ball from reaching the plane along foul line, and, thus, called the play foul while gesturing "Time" with his arms. As such (and most likely hoping for such a call), Valbuena pointed to Scheurwater's call and did not make an attempt to retire Chirinos.

The Rule: OBR 8.03(c) granted plate umpire Cederstrom the authority to make a final ruling:

If different decisions should be made on one play by different umpires, the umpire-in-chief shall call all the umpires into consultation, with no manager or player present. After consultation, the umpire-in-chief (unless another umpire may have been designated by the League President) shall determine which decision shall prevail, based on which umpire was in best position and which decision was most likely correct. Play shall proceed as if only the final decision had been made.

The parenthetical ("unless another umpire may have been designed by the League President") simply means that the Crew Chief shall act as the umpire-in-chief's place during the multiple-calls situation described by OBR 8.03(c).

In this situation, Cederstrom was both the Crew Chief as well as the umpire-in-chief (HP Umpire).

Cederstrom and Scheurwater have a consultation.

Mechanics, Whose Call is it, Anyway (and Why)? Because the ball had not yet reached the front edge of the base when it was first touched by a fielder, this call belongs to the plate umpire. Had the ball arrived at the front edge of third base prior to being touched by a fielder, the call would belong to the field (base) umpire. The rationale here is that the plate umpire has the best angle to see a ball being played in front of a fielder ahead of the corner bases, while a field umpire has the best angle to judge whether a ball has passed first or third base in fair vs foul territory.

Thinking about this another way, we know by rule that a ball that hasn't yet reached first or third base is neither fair nor foul until an action occurs to make it such (e.g., a fielder touches the ball). Similarly, a ball that has already bounced, as in the Texas-Anaheim play, will become fair or foul no later than when it reaches the front edge of first or third base. Accordingly, the plate umpire is responsible for declaring an all-else-equal ground ball fair or foul by fielder's touch, while the field/base umpire has primary responsibility for declaring an all-else-equal ground ball fair or foul by the ball-passing-over-base standard (which has nothing to do with a fielder's touch).

From his position in front, Gary sees "fair."

Chief Cederstrom Decides: As the plate umpire making one of the two conflicting calls, Cederstrom had the advantage of having seen the play. As the plate umpire, Cederstrom also had primary responsibility for making this call prior to the ball arriving at the base (though it was very close): with no runners on base on a ball not being hit into the danger "triangle" near home plate (e.g., where runner's lane interference is a potential call to make), there are no special considerations in play; there is no potential play at the plate for which a plate umpire might need to get in position (thus, the plate umpire won't transfer his fair/foul responsibility to the third base umpire).

About the ball being so close to the base, consider what we discussed just the other day regarding Crew Consultation and Getting the Call Right (Hanahan's MiLB ejection): "An umpire is urged to seek help when that umpire's view is blocked or positioning prevents such umpire from seeing crucial elements of a play." When comparing Scheurwater and Cederstrom's angles (forget whether the ball reached the base for a second), it sure appeared that Scheurwater's view may have been blocked while Cederstrom was in better position to officiate this play.

Thus, as the plate umpire with the best angle on a batted ball that had not yet reached third base, Cederstrom properly ruled the ball fair and furthermore judged that fielder Valbuena did not have a play on batter-runner Chirinos; thus, Cederstrom awarded Chirinos first base.

This rule does not specifically exist in high school. Rather, for NFHS high school play, Rule 10-2-3l states the UIC shall, "Rectify any situation in which an umpire’s decision that was reversed has placed either team at a disadvantage."

Under all codes, the ball becomes dead as soon as any of the umpires calls "Foul" or "Time" (NFHS 5-1-1h, "inadvertently announces 'Foul' on a ball that touches the ground") The only question remaining is whether, in the designated chief's judgment, the fielder would have retired the batter had the play not been killed prematurely. In this case, the answer was "no" and the runner was granted safe passage to first base.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

HP Umpire Chad Fairchild ejected Blue Jays CF Kevin Pillar (strike one call; QOCY) in the top of the 3rd inning of the Blue Jays-Rays game. With none out and none on, Pillar took a 0-0 fastball from Rays pitcher Chris Archer for a called first strike before grounding out on a 1-2 slider. Replays indicate the first pitch was located over the outer edge of home plate and knee-high (px .832, pz 1.654 [sz_bot 1.535]), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Rays were leading, 4-1. The Rays ultimately won the contest, 6-5.

Monday, August 21, 2017

Struck in the mask by an errant warm-up pitch, HP Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt left Monday night's game in Cleveland an out after the initial delay.

Wendelstedt is evaluated after a hit to the head.

With two out and one on in the bottom of the 6th inning of the Red Sox-Indians game, Wendelstedt prepared to face a warm-up pitch from Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly, which appeared to deflect off of catcher Christian Vazquez's glove and into Wendelstedt's traditional-style facemask.

Though Wendelstedt remained in the contest through the completion of the sixth inning, he departed the game prior to the top of the 7th and was replaced behind the plate by 2B Umpire Alan Porter as crewmates Bill Welke (1B) and Andy Fletcher (3B) remained on the lines.

Relevant Injury History: Wendelstedt most recently left a game due to a head injury when a foul ball struck his facemask during August 16, 2016's Blue Jays-Yankees game. Similarly, Wendelstedt remained in the TOR-NYY game immediately following the ball to the head, only to leave the contest after completing the inning.

Last Game: August 21 | Return to Play: September 12 | Total Time Absent: 21 Days | Video as follows:

Payroll database Spotrac indicates that Kinsler is drawing a salary of $11 million in 2017. Spread out over a 162-game season, this amounts to approximately $67,901 per game, whether Kinsler plays or not. $10,000, thus, represents 14.7% of a game, or just over an inning of regulation ball. Naturally, a non-suspension means the team doesn't have to account for a replacement, so considerations such as WAR are additional benefits of a fine-only disciplinary action.

It should be readily apparent to the reader that both of Kinsler's disciplinary issues have involved ejections. As such, it should also be evident that Kinsler is now a repeat offender of inappropriate umpire criticism—the first in defiant physical action (returning to the field) and the present in public verbal castigation.

Kinsler appealed, but ultimately dropped the 2010 matter and sat out after Texas clinched a playoff berth in late September. As a result, Kinsler surrendered nearly $22,000, or about .5% of his $4 million salary.

By contrast, Kinsler's $10,000 fine in August 2017 amounts to .09% of his $11 million salary. In other words, Kinsler's 2017 fine affected his pocket book far less significantly than his 2010 dropped-appeal suspension for what may be deemed more severe misconduct (and a repeat offense).

Although manager Brad Ausmus quipped that Kinsler's $10,000 fine is the largest non-suspension penalty he can recall (note: MLB fined Nyjer Morgan $15,000 for fighting in 2010), let's illustrate what .09% actually means.

For an employee earning a salary of $100,000, forfeiting .09% would correspond to a fine of just $90.

MLB Umpires' wristbands have come off.

So, perchance, we want to devise a system wherein a player is punished in the pocketbook for an amount that is proportional to what the player's overall salary is. We want the fine to be .x% of the annum.

Gil's Call: The proportional system already exists and has a name: Suspension. Unfortunately, MLB chose not to use it with Kinsler and instead imposed a greater-than-usual lump sum penalty for a player whose large salary ensures that the financial impact of the fine is rather insignificant. In essence, the amount of money Kinsler will forfeit is of so little importance to a player who continues to declare his righteousness in criticizing an umpire he dislikes that it ultimately does nothing to dissuade him nor others from engaging in similar misconduct.

Finally, as I wrote in "Angel Hernandez, MLB, and Discrimination (Part 2)," reviewing and analyzing the Hernandez v MLB lawsuit, Angel Hernandez's skill level is largely irrelevant. Just because Kinsler may or may not have "a point" in regards to Hernandez doesn't change the overall problem posed by a player receiving insufficient punishment for belittlement of an umpire. It shouldn't matter in a structural sense whether Kinsler criticized the #1 umpire in the league or whether he criticized the last-place ump. At the end of the day, this is about a player undermining the league itself, who is responsible for hiring, assigning, and retaining officials.

There are proper avenues to employ, for instance filing internal complaints...but publicly impugning an umpire is improper and does nothing to enhance MLB's brand: after all, it is MLB and only MLB who hired Angel Hernandez or any other umpire in the first place. A more organized front office would know that.

Speaking of which, in a turnabout-is-fair-play way, MLB as of 2016 considered Hernandez one of the league's 21 best umpires, in assigning him to the 2016 National League Championship Series. Would the League have tolerated player's similar criticism of, say, Tom Hallion, who hasn't achieved that level of postseason distinction since 2011?

As an aside, MLB allegedly notified WUA and/or its members in writing that their white wristband protest would lead to fines assessed against the umpires, and offered to meet, after which the union called off the wristband protest. It was not revealed what those fines might have been, or how they would have compared to Kinsler's, proportionally speaking relative to overall salary.

Sometimes, two-person crews rile up minor league managers just by following guidelines. When HP Umpire Tom Hanahan of the Class-A Advanced Carolina League called a batted ball foul as it cleared the outfield fence down the right field line, one such skipper couldn't take "no" for an answer.

Umpire Tom Hanahan ejects Manager Ayrault.

With two out and two on in the bottom of the 1st inning of the Keys-Mudcats game, Mudcats batter Weston Wilson hit a 1-2 fastball from Keys pitcher Reid Love on a fly to the corner in deep right field, where the ball exited the playing field in flight. With 1B Umpire Ronnie Whiting having shifted over to the middle infield's Deep C position to account for the runners on base, HP Umpire Hanahan tracked the fly ball to the right of the foul pole, and properly ruled the ball foul.

That didn't sit well with Mudcats Manager Joe Ayrault, who intercepted Hanahan to discuss the play, believing, from his angle in the 3B Coach's box, that the ball was fair and a home run. Ayrault's chief argument appeared to be an appeal for Hanahan to consult field umpire Whiting, which Hanahan opted not to do. Ayrault continued to argue, and Hanahan ejected the sour skipper.

Key Question: Should Hanahan have consulted with crewmate Whiting—is there an obligation to do so?

Umpiring Literature/Rules: Minor League Baseball's PBUC/MiLBUD Umpire Manual contains a section entitled "Crew Consultation and Getting the Play Right" (this section also appears in the MLB Umpire Manual). This section instructs umpires as to when to seek help:

An umpire is urged to seek help when that umpire's view is blocked or positioning prevents such umpire from seeing crucial elements of a play. An umpire is also encouraged to seek help in instances when that umpire has doubt and a partner has information that could lead to a proper ruling.

Ronnie Whiting helps "rodeo clown" skip away.

Furthermore, no umpire shall criticize or seek to reverse another umpire's decision unless asked to do so by the calling umpire. Still, PBUC/MiLBUD/MLBUM protocol would under certain circumstances authorize an off umpire to chime in: "When a partner is certain that the umpire making the call could benefit from such additional information, the partner should alert the other umpire that there is additional, important information that should be shared."

Finally, one of the PBUC/MiLBUD Manual's guidelines, in bold text, states, "6. Managers are not entitled to a second opinion simply because they dispute a call."

Philosophy: What's wrong with getting together, as the broadcaster suggests, "just for show"? The reason is two-fold, in sum. First, PBUC/MiLBUD advises against it ("There should not be a lengthy argument with the manager that is followed by a crew conference about the call"): this suggests that the managers/coaches have the ability to manipulate the crew into performing an action on their behalf to benefit their team. Umpires by definition should be impartial, a 50-50 balance. Manager manipulation essentially tips this fine equilibrium to benefit one side over the other, and this eats at the umpire's mission and impression of impartiality, while manipulation furthermore suggests that the umpire(s) can be bullied or persuaded into meeting and, ultimately, potentially ruling one way over the other.

Hanahan calls "Tilt" on Ayrault's protest.

As is the case when a pinball player rocks the machine, an umpire at some point can't be afraid to call "TILT!"

Second, and the Manual makes this point above, getting together shall only occur when the umpire is 1) blocked, 2) out of position for the play, 3) doubtful of his call; or 4) his crewmate spots something he does not. Though crew-savers are important on critical plays, umpires aren't exactly at liberty of considering every close play critical lest "boy who cried wolf" syndrome eats away at the crew's credibility. A similar argument is made for the case of 1) blocked and 2) out of position plays ("why weren't you in position?"), and, most obviously, 3) doubt ("how can you be unsure?").

Just because MLB now has replay as a tool doesn't mean that MiLB umpires should change how they call their game (unless we're now going to require MLBU to enforce pitch clocks simply because the minors have 'em). MLB has its own rules for replay just as MiLB has its own for consultation in a game without video review. For instance, consultation at the MLB level might be absolutely vital before going to replay while the very lack of replay in the minors might just preclude the crew from consulting frivolously.Related Post: Crew Consultation - The Importance of the Call on the Field (6/22/17).

"Just for show" opens up a can of worms that umpires cannot afford to visit during a game.

Wilson's potential home run falls foul.

Answer: Hanahan appeared to feel confident of his unobstructed view of the play and made his ruling without doubt or uncertainty. Because the game situation placed him in Deep C position, Whiting appeared not to have any critical information that would have led Hanahan to change his call. Oddly enough, it would be Whiting's positioning in his proper location in the middle infield—not Hanahan's—that essentially precluded Whiting from having any critical information for Hanahan about this play. Had the bases been empty and Whiting on the foul line, his angle would have been much more valuable for this play (although he would have also had primary responsibility for the fair/foul call).

Accordingly, Hanahan's call was not subject to a Crew Consultation pursuant to the Minor League Manual's guidelines, and Hanahan properly denied Ayrault's request for a second opinion pursuant to Guideline #6.

Quality of Correctness: For what it's worth, replays indicate the ball exited the playing field to the outside (right) and in front of the foul pole, Hanahan's call was correct.

Sunday, August 20, 2017

HP Umpire John Tumpane ejected Diamondbacks Manager Torey Lovullo (warnings; QOCU) in the top of the 7th inning of the Diamondbacks-Twins game. With none out and none on, Diamondbacks batter Adam Rosales took a first-pitch fastball from Twins pitcher Ryan Pressly for a ball and warnings issued. Replays indicate the pitch was located inside and thigh-high; Twins batter Chris Gimenez had been hit by a pitch in the bottom of the 6th inning, the call was irrecusable. At the time of the ejection, the Twins were leading, 12-4. The Twins ultimately won the contest, 12-5.

World Umpires Association members will cease their wristband protest after the MLB Commissioner's Office agreed to meet with the union's governing board to hear the WUA's concerns.

Wristbands are off after just one day of protest.

The WUA's agreement to remove the protest white wrist band—which the union has described as a demonstration of "good faith" in exchange for MLB's willingness to meet with the board—comes nary one day after the WUA first announced its protest of what the Association declared, "The Office of the Commissioner's lenient treatment to abusive player behavior sends the wrong message to players and managers. It's 'open season' on umpires, and that's bad for the game."

The white wristband protest, the World Umpires Association wrote, would continue "until our concerns are taken seriously by the Office of the Commissioner."

Based on the language of their last sentence in Saturday's statement announcing the protest, WUA's action in removing the protest band pending the requested meeting logically signifies that the Office of the Commissioner has satisfied the requested standard of "until our concerns are taken seriously."

Stated the WUA on Sunday, "We appreciate the Commissioner's willingness to engage seriously on verbal attacks and other important issues that must be addressed."